Biotech Updates

German Plant Breeders Demand for Law Enforcement Against Field Destroyers

July 22, 2011

Members of the Federal Association of German Plant Breeders Association (BDP) have denounced the continuous destruction of field trials brought by GM opponents. Dr. Carl-Stephan Schaefer, CEO of BDP said that, "The attacks that are directed now against individuals reveal a new dimension of violence by GM opponents who can not be tolerated. Therefore, we demand a rigorous prosecution of the perpetrators," said Dr. Carl-Stephan Schaefer, CEO of BDP.

Field trial experiments have been conducted in the country since 2007 and since that time, 16 field trials in six experiments have been destroyed. These occurrences have brought destruction cost of several million Euros,  uncertainties to the future of transgenic research in the country, and mistrust to the competent authorities on the safety of genetically modified crops.

The press release in German can be seen at  http://www.bdp-online.de/de/Presse/Aktuelle
_Mitteilungen_1/BDP_fordert_konsequente_Strafverfolgung_von_Feldzerstoerern/2011-07-15_BDP-PI_BDP_fordert_konsequente_Strafverfolgung_von_Feldzerstoerern.pdf